diff --git a/config/eloquent-driver.php b/config/eloquent-driver.php
index b6901f5a..7465d975 100644
--- a/config/eloquent-driver.php
+++ b/config/eloquent-driver.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
         'driver' => 'file',
         'model' => \Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\AssetModel::class,
         'asset' => \Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\Asset::class,
+        'use_model_keys_for_ids' => false,
     ],
 
     'blueprints' => [
diff --git a/src/Assets/Asset.php b/src/Assets/Asset.php
index 5d917cab..ca2aa540 100644
--- a/src/Assets/Asset.php
+++ b/src/Assets/Asset.php
@@ -30,12 +30,15 @@ public function syncOriginal()
     protected $existsOnDisk = false;
     protected $removedData = [];
 
+    protected $model;
+
     public static function fromModel(Model $model)
     {
         return (new static())
             ->container($model->container)
             ->path(Str::replace('//', '/', $model->folder.'/'.$model->basename))
             ->hydrateMeta($model->meta)
+            ->model($model)
             ->syncOriginal();
     }
 
@@ -60,6 +63,20 @@ public function meta($key = null)
             return $meta;
         }
 
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            if ($this->model) {
+                return $this->model->meta;
+            }
+
+            $meta = $this->generateMeta();
+
+            if (! $meta['data']) {
+                $meta['data'] = [];
+            }
+
+            return $meta;
+        }
+
         return Blink::once($this->metaCacheKey(), function () {
             if ($model = app('statamic.eloquent.assets.model')::where([
                 'container' => $this->containerHandle(),
@@ -129,7 +146,11 @@ public function writeMeta($meta)
     {
         $meta['data'] = Arr::removeNullValues($meta['data']);
 
-        self::makeModelFromContract($this, $meta)?->save();
+        if ($model = self::makeModelFromContract($this, $meta)) {
+            $model->save();
+
+            $this->model = $model;
+        }
 
         Blink::put('eloquent-asset-meta-exists-'.$this->id(), true);
     }
@@ -147,11 +168,21 @@ public static function makeModelFromContract(AssetContract $source, $meta = [])
 
         $original = $source->getOriginal();
 
-        $model = app('statamic.eloquent.assets.model')::firstOrNew([
-            'container' => $source->containerHandle(),
-            'folder' => Arr::get($original, 'folder', $source->folder()),
-            'basename' => Arr::get($original, 'basename', $source->basename()),
-        ])->fill([
+        $model = false;
+
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            $model = $source->model();
+        }
+
+        if (! $model) {
+            $model = app('statamic.eloquent.assets.model')::firstOrNew([
+                'container' => $source->containerHandle(),
+                'folder' => Arr::get($original, 'folder', $source->folder()),
+                'basename' => Arr::get($original, 'basename', $source->basename()),
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        $model->fill([
             'meta' => $meta,
             'filename' => $source->filename(),
             'extension' => $extension,
@@ -195,7 +226,8 @@ public function move($folder, $filename = null)
         $this->path($newPath);
         $this->save();
 
-        if ($oldMetaPath != $this->metaPath()) {
+        // if we arent referencing assets by the database model id, then we need to find any old models by the previous path and update them
+        if (! config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false) && ($oldMetaPath != $this->metaPath())) {
             $oldMetaModel = app('statamic.eloquent.assets.model')::where([
                 'container' => $this->containerHandle(),
                 'folder' => $oldFolder,
@@ -213,6 +245,30 @@ public function move($folder, $filename = null)
         return $this;
     }
 
+    public function model($model = null)
+    {
+        if (func_num_args() === 0) {
+            return $this->model;
+        }
+
+        $this->model = $model;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    public function id($id = null)
+    {
+        if ($id || ! config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            return parent::id($id);
+        }
+
+        if (! $this->model) {
+            throw new \Exception('ID is not available until asset is saved');
+        }
+
+        return $this->model->getKey();
+    }
+
     public function getCurrentDirtyStateAttributes(): array
     {
         return array_merge([
diff --git a/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php b/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php
index 9b2da69f..c28e5535 100644
--- a/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php
+++ b/src/Assets/AssetRepository.php
@@ -13,12 +13,25 @@ class AssetRepository extends BaseRepository
 {
     public function findById($id): ?AssetContract
     {
+        $blinkKey = "eloquent-asset-{$id}";
+
         [$container, $path] = explode('::', $id);
 
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false) && (str_contains($path, '.') === false)) {
+            $item = Blink::once($blinkKey, fn () => $this->query()->where('id', $path)->first());
+
+            if (! $item) {
+                Blink::forget($blinkKey);
+
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return $item;
+        }
+
         $filename = Str::afterLast($path, '/');
         $folder = str_contains($path, '/') ? Str::beforeLast($path, '/') : '/';
 
-        $blinkKey = "eloquent-asset-{$id}";
         $item = Blink::once($blinkKey, function () use ($container, $filename, $folder) {
             return $this->query()
                 ->where('container', $container)
@@ -38,6 +51,11 @@ public function findById($id): ?AssetContract
 
     public function findByUrl(string $url)
     {
+        // handle find('model-key'), with no container
+        if (! str_contains('.', $url)) {
+            return $this->findById('::'.$url);
+        }
+
         if (! $container = $this->resolveContainerFromUrl($url)) {
             return null;
         }
diff --git a/src/Commands/UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys.php b/src/Commands/UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6685130f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Commands/UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys.php
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Statamic\Eloquent\Commands;
+
+use Illuminate\Console\Command;
+use Statamic\Assets\AssetReferenceUpdater;
+use Statamic\Console\RunsInPlease;
+use Statamic\Contracts\Assets\AssetContainer;
+use Statamic\Facades;
+
+class UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys extends Command
+{
+    use RunsInPlease;
+
+    /**
+     * The name and signature of the console command.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $signature = 'statamic:eloquent:update-asset-references-to-use-model-keys {--container=all}';
+
+    /**
+     * The console command description.
+     *
+     * @var string
+     */
+    protected $description = 'Update container::path references to container::asset_model_key';
+
+    /**
+     * Execute the console command.
+     */
+    public function handle()
+    {
+        Facades\AssetContainer::all()
+            ->reject(fn ($container) => $this->option('container') != 'all' && $this->option('container') != $container->handle())
+            ->each(fn ($container) => $this->processContainer($container));
+
+        $this->info('Complete');
+    }
+
+    private function processContainer(AssetContainer $container)
+    {
+        $this->info("Container: {$container->handle()}");
+
+        $container->queryAssets()->get()->each(function ($item) use ($container) {
+            return AssetReferenceUpdater::item($item)
+                ->filterByContainer($container)
+                ->updateReferences($item->path(), $item->id());
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ServiceProvider.php b/src/ServiceProvider.php
index dbc4a73c..297471b4 100644
--- a/src/ServiceProvider.php
+++ b/src/ServiceProvider.php
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Taxonomies\TermQueryBuilder;
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Taxonomies\TermRepository;
 use Statamic\Eloquent\Tokens\TokenRepository;
+use Statamic\Listeners\UpdateAssetReferences;
 use Statamic\Providers\AddonServiceProvider;
 use Statamic\Statamic;
 
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ public function boot()
             Commands\ImportRevisions::class,
             Commands\ImportTaxonomies::class,
             Commands\SyncAssets::class,
+            Commands\UpdateAssetReferencesToUseModelKeys::class,
         ]);
 
         $this->addAboutCommandInfo();
@@ -256,6 +258,11 @@ private function registerAssets()
         });
 
         Statamic::repository(AssetRepositoryContract::class, AssetRepository::class);
+
+        // we dont need asset references to run on asset save if we are linking by id, as the references dont update
+        if (config('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', false)) {
+            UpdateAssetReferences::disable();
+        }
     }
 
     private function registerBlueprints()
diff --git a/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php b/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php
index 6f763cc1..0dbcecaf 100644
--- a/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php
+++ b/tests/Assets/AssetTest.php
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Storage;
+use Orchestra\Testbench\Attributes\DefineEnvironment;
 use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
+use Statamic\Eloquent\Assets\Asset;
 use Statamic\Facades;
 use Tests\TestCase;
 
@@ -52,4 +54,53 @@ public function saving_an_asset_clears_the_eloquent_blink_cache()
 
         $this->assertFalse(Facades\Blink::has("eloquent-asset-{$asset->id()}"));
     }
+
+    #[Test]
+    public function not_referencing_by_id_gives_a_container_and_path_id()
+    {
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('test::f.jpg');
+
+        $this->assertNotSame($asset->id(), $asset->model()->getKey());
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('::', $asset->id());
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DefineEnvironment('setUseModelKeysConfig')]
+    public function referencing_by_id_gives_a_model_id()
+    {
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('test::f.jpg');
+
+        $this->assertSame($asset->id(), $asset->model()->getKey());
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DefineEnvironment('setUseModelKeysConfig')]
+    public function an_error_is_thrown_when_getting_id_before_asset_is_saved()
+    {
+        $this->expectException(\Exception::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('ID is not available until asset is saved');
+
+        Storage::disk('test')->put('new.jpg', '');
+        Facades\Asset::make()->container('test')->path('new.jpg')->id();
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DefineEnvironment('setUseModelKeysConfig')]
+    public function using_find_with_an_id_returns_an_asset()
+    {
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('test::6');
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(Asset::class, $asset);
+        $this->assertSame('f.jpg', $asset->basename());
+
+        $asset = Facades\Asset::find('6');
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(Asset::class, $asset);
+        $this->assertSame('f.jpg', $asset->basename());
+    }
+
+    protected function setUseModelKeysConfig($app)
+    {
+        $app['config']->set('statamic.eloquent-driver.assets.use_model_keys_for_ids', true);
+    }
 }